Carl Wilson of Hargreaves Plants told delegates at last week’s U40s Conference that investing in blueberry production could be very lucrative for the UK marketplace.
"Our business in blueberries is moving positively forward on schedule," said Wilson.
"We started the first UK blueberry symposium and we are the largest UK supplier of plants to the UK."
He claims there is a definite market for growing blueberries in the UK and there will be increasing varieties available, from the US and New Zealand.
Wilson was pleased to announce that Hargreaves' turnover exceeded £5 million for the first time last year.
And the company has completed a large-scale first-step production of waiting bed plants in the UK.
Wilson said on heavy waiting beds it was possible to produce Elsanta strawberries with standard crown sizes of 22mm. They were free from diseases such as xanthomonas and black spot, he added.
The company was equally happy with its developments in long cane raspberries.
Much of the cane had reached 2.2m in height and demand had exceeded availability last year.
In addition, despite reservations from some marketing companies, Wilson said Hargreaves was pleased with the results of its primocane raspberry, Polka.
It was placed first and second in the raspberry category in last year's National Fruit Show in Kent, and the company is expecting it to be an established named variety before long.
Hargreaves holds the exclusive propagation rights to the Polka variety and offers Pollka plants in three varieties: bare rooted standard canes, bare rooted long canes and spring potted modules.
Following its success with raspberries, the company is testing its first primocane blackberries.
"Having primocane production could be a great boost to blackberry consumption," said Wilson.
Hargreaves has also been rapidly expanding its Asparagus lines, The company has 183 new lines in its Norfolk trials and is testing seed in key markets across the globe, such as Peru and Thailand. "We have already signed an exclusive deal with one of the major multiples for purple spears produced from Peru to the UK," Wilson added.
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